Improvement in automatic feed for boilers



s. s. & T. B. DAVIS. Automatic Feed for Boilers.

No. 217.346. Patented July 8,1879.

N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITMOGRAFHEH, WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATESPATENTOFFICE.

SAMUEL S. DAVIS AND THOMASIB. DAVIS, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

. IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC FEED FOR BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,346, dated July 8,1879; application filed May 2'2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAML. S. DAVIS and THos."B. DAVIS, of Rock Island,in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new andnseful Improvements in Automatic Feed, Low-Water Alarm,and Gage for Boilers; and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangementof an automatic water-feeder for low-pressure boilers with low-wateralarm, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in whichtFigure 1 is a central vertical section through the chest. Fig. 2 isamodification used for high-pressure boilers; and Figs. 3 and 4 aredetails of the gage.

A represents a cast-iron chest containing the working parts, andprovided with a top, B, bolted on, so that said working parts can beeasily reached. The chest A is to be placed alongside of the boiler andjust at the height of the water-line therein, and it is to be connectedby a pipe, a, with the steamspace of the boiler, and by a pipe, I), withthe water-space below the water-line of the boiler, so that the waterwill always be on the same level in the boiler and in the feeder, as thesteam-pressure is the same in both. d is a pipe connecting the chestwith the tank or water-works.

Within the chest A is a post, E, forming the fulcrum for the lever C,said lever passing through and pivoted in the upper end thereof. To thelong end of the lever O is suspended a copper vessel, D, which is openat the top and remains full of water. To the other end of the lever isattached a weight,F, which is just heavy enough to overbalance thevessel D when the same is submerged in the water. In the 'supplypipe dis a valve, 0,

which opens downward and has its stem c011- nected to the lever 0.

the vessel D above the water in the feeder,

and by the greater leverage of this end of the lever C it will overcomethe weight F and cause the valve 0 to open. The pressure from the tankor works being greater than the pressure in the boiler or feeder willcause the water to rush in to the feeder and thence into the boileruntil'the water floats the vessel D high enough to close the valve 0.Instead of the vessel D a float of any suitable material may be used.

G is the alarm-Whistle, screwed through the lid B, and is removed withthe lid when the same is taken off. In the whistle G is a valve, f,provided with a stem, h, having a copper vessel, H, suspended from itslower end. The valve his held up against its seat by means of a spring,6, strong enough to do so when the vessel H is submerged.

On the valve-stem his a collar or pin, m, which extends under the lever0. When the water in the feeder falls below a certain point the lever Cwill rest on said pin or collar and open the valve f, so as to let thesteam pass out and sound the alarm. If at any time the lever should failto act and the water falls below the vessel H, the weight of the waterin said vessel will open the valve and cause the alarm to be sounded.

For high-pressure boilers the same device may be used with the followingadditions: The valve 6 should be double-seated, closing both up anddown, and the water-supply from the pump should be connected between thetwo valveseats. Another pipe with valve also connects with the pump,andathird pipe also connects with the pump, this latter pipe furnishingsteam enough to cause the pump to work slowly. The other pipe with valveis only brought in use when the water falls below the valve-seattherein, when the valve opens and furnishes a greater supply of steam tothe pump.

For horizontal or upright boilers a watergage may also be connected tothe mechanism by making the fulcrum fast to thelever O and causing saidfulcrum to pass out through a pipe in the shell of the boiler. A hand"or pointer is then attached to the outer end thereof, to show on a dialthe state of the water.

Having thus fully described our invention, What we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

IL The whistle G, valve f, with spring 2', stern h, and collar m, incombination with the lever O of the low-water mechanism, as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

2. An automatic feed and water gage for boilers, consisting essentiallyofchest A, .provided with pipesafb (I, post #EJGVGPG, weight F, vesselsD H, valve f, stem h, collar m, spring i, and whistle G, all arranged tooperate substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony that we-clairn the foregoing as our-own we affix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

I SAML. S. DAVIS.

THOMAS B. DAVIS. Witnesses:

W. H. GEsT, W. HAWES.

